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FirstEnergy to replace steam generators at Ohio Davis-Besse reactor

Oct 22 (Reuters) - U.S. power company FirstEnergy Corp said it will install two new steam generators in the894-megawatt Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio during theplant's spring 2014 refueling outage.

FirstEnergy, of Akron, Ohio, said on Monday the newgenerators had been safely delivered to the plant.

Steam generators use hot water from the reactor to producethe steam used to turn the turbines and generate electricity.

Although most nuclear operators replace the steam generatorsin their pressurized water reactors without a problem, a coupleof botched replacement jobs led to the recent retirement of DukeEnergy Corp's Crystal River reactor in Florida andEdison International's San Onofre reactors inCalifornia.

FirstEnergy is replacing the steam generators as part of itsplan to extend the life of the plant. The company filed with theU.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2010 to extend thereactor's original 40-year operating license for 20 years. Theplant's current license expires in April 2017.

Babcock and Wilcox Co Inc started manufacturingFirstEnergy's new steam generators in 2009 at its facility inCambridge, Ontario.